Spring River Watershed Partnership - 2nd Meeting

A group of twelve met Friday, Dec. 12, 2008 in carthage, MO. for the purpose of continuing the conversation of establishing a (Jasper County, MO) Spring River Watershed organization. The Carthage Press reported (12/14/2008) Plan of Attack Revealed, on the priortization of desired outcomes for the group, Spring River Watershed Partnership. The MISSION: "Protect, conserve and restore water quality and water quantity though scientific and educational programs for all who receive the benefits of Spring River Watershed". The group agreed to initially focus on the Spring River (elevated bacteria levels) and North Fork of Spring River (excessive sediment levels). The next step is to identify all groups that have done or are doing research in these taget areas. Then the group will begin assimilating data regarding the problems, in order to develop plans for management and solutions.

White Oak Creek Erosion Project

The Joplin Globe reported that the Jasper County (MO) Commissioners agreed to seek state approval for a project that would stabilize the stream bank at a bridge over White Oak Creek. The article, Panel Moves to Save Soil, reports that "the county is working on four potential projects with representatives of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. A report on the problem will be submitted to the state, which allocates federal funds for the work, said Derek Ball of the NRCS office in Carthage. 'There is severe erosion both upstream and downstream of the bridge where the bank is giving way because of the 100-year flood events we’ve had in the last several years,' Ball said. The county also is looking at potential projects on County Road 118 near Morrow Mill, on Pine Road near County Road 160 and on County Road 110 south of Blackberry Road. The project near Morrow Mill is the largest of the four and also will involve the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers."

Shoal Creek Watershed Improvement Group

The Joplin Globe, article in today's paper, Cash Flow Into Creek, describes the award of $224,000 from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) to the Shoal Creek Watershed Improvement Group. Drew Holt, who works with the watershed group, said the bacterial loading is coming from three sources. “DNA tracking during low flows and higher flows showed three primary sources. It’s one-third human, one-third poultry and one-third cattle,” he said. Property owners along the creek and its tributaries will be eligible for assistance, along with homeowners living within a half-mile of environmentally-sensitive areas, such as losing streams, sinkholes and springs, the MDNR said. The grant was funneled from the federal government to Missouri’s Water Protection Program through a Clean Water Act appropriation.

Information about the project is available by contacting MDNR’s Water Protection Program at (573) 751-1300 or Drew Holt with the Shoal Creek Watershed Improvement Group at (417) 838-1939.